The mystery of Sak Keh Ma

The curiosity alwiz kills the cat they said....
but it's different for Monkey. Whenever she's curious, she'll be nosy and check it out....usually she'll ends up with something to eat/munch/drink.

Yes whenever we traveled, we alwiz take different routes home be it walking or by public transport *in this case, inside the comfort of our car*. This way, we get to discover something NEW, something interest...os good bargains.

We've discovered excellent seafood place in Rome, Great coffees and croissants in Paris, amazing paellas in Barcelona by the beach, succulent salt-baked fish in Bangkok, and the list goes on....Sometimes being in the comfort of our own country, there's too many blind spots. Prollie because we didn't walk enuff to discover much.

So last weekend we drove to a place about 45 minutes from Ipoh - Tg. Tualang. A town famous for its huge prawns. Ok ok ok I will blog about the meal of huge ass prawns but I've already done that before during one of the many trips here. The highlight this time would be these babies!!!

Sak Keh Ma

What is Sak Keh Ma? It sounded chinese...to be precise, it's cantonese. I Ching saw this lil stall selling them as we drove by. Oh yeah we were so environmentally unfriendly...the men came here with one car and the ladies another. They said it's bonding time....I said it's a waste of fuel.


Whenever I made such comments, I'm asking for it...to be piak on my mouth bcoz the men are in this industry - oil and gas....
-_-
so no such thing as wasting fuel/no fuel/don't use too much of fuel/fuel too expensive etc
oh well....I've did it so many times, over and over again, I got scolded and piak-ed for this comment. Fine...end of story.


anyway back to the star of this dessert - Sak Keh Ma
I was so curious that I stood there watching them doing business.

This boy/vendor was operating the stall with his elder brother. I wanted to ask him more questions on the history of this lil snack but my chinese is really limited. Plus I won't be able to understand much about what he's gonna say. I've alwiz get this thing from friends whereby they have to explain in details over a simple word. Please lar speak simple cantonese....I don't watch TVB nor any Hong Kong dramas ok?

Young boy then proceeded with cutting the caramelized snacks with such precision
each slab/block is so precise so it will fit into the plastic bag perfectly.

Each block consist of 4 huge pieces of snacks. One pack has one block.
But he cuts it in a way whereby each block is not apart in 4 pieces but it's enuff for you to tear them away from each other.

well it may looked/sound simple but it's not!!!!
it requires a lot of knife skills.
Oh well u don't wanna piss a young boy with high energy holding a sharp cleaver right?

Ta-Da!!!!!
see...it's clean and precise
no rulers were needed

the sak keh ma was made fresh on the spot. I could smell the caramelised maltose and EGGS!!! 3 packs were sold for RM 10. We ate them on the spot :P HAHAHAHAHAHA

So after much digging and reading this morning *okie lar not that much*
Sak Keh Ma originated from China....to be precise......Manchuria.

AIKS?????? I alwiz thought this was some Malaysian Chinese snacks originated from Ipoh?!?!?!?!

Aiyaaaaaaa
so u see the power of knowledge.....
-_-"

so there were a few stories on the legend and beginning of this snacks. But the funniest one would be the chef made these for a general *who rides on horse* whom he hated. So he named it Sak Keh Ma - sounded like "Kill the one riding the horse" for this irritating general to eat :P

but out of the many legend/stories, the one I found believable was Sak Keh Ma/ Saqima is the translation of Manchu.....of cut and rearrangement. Oh well you do cut this slab of snacks and rearrange them to be eaten right?

only problem now...I've only bought enuff for myself to eat :P
hehehehehehehe